It was always Holy Name senior Rachel Casciano's dream to play a sport for Penn State.

When she first started high school, it didn't look like that was going to happen. She was an accomplished basketball and soccer player, but she wasn't good enough to play Division I.

An unfortunate twist of fate put Casciano's dream in her hands.

Concussions forced her to quit soccer during her sophomore year and find another competitive outlet. She discovered distance running and soon realized she was better at that sport than anything else.

Casciano became a three-time District 3-AA gold medalist last spring, her first season dedicated fully to track. Less than a year later, she accepted an offer to run track and cross country at Penn State.

"I was looking to go there because my parents went there and I visited ever since I was little," Casciano said. "On one visit I talked to the coach. He started recruiting me. I was choosing between Penn State and Maryland, and I chose Penn State."

Concussions completely derailed Casciano's athletic career for a while. She had to quit exercise for four months at one point as a sophomore.

Although she later returned to basketball, taking on some risk because she didn't want to disappoint her teammates, she was finished with soccer. It was an emotionally trying time because she had played the sport her entire life.

"I miss soccer more than anything," Casciano said. "But it turned out to provide an awesome opportunity for me."

Casciano dabbled in track as a freshman, competing in the 4x800 relay. She was told the 800 was a natural fit for an ex-soccer player and decided this was the path she wanted to follow.

No one could have imagined so much success so quickly.

Casciano took Class AA by storm at the District 3 meet. In the span of two days she won gold medals in the 800, 1600 and 3200 meters, a feat that had been accomplished only five times before.

Although she was still learning the subtleties of distance running, she was athletic enough to beat the field.

Casciano will be a top contender at districts again this season and hopes to challenge some of the top Class AAA runners at the Firing Meet next month. Then it's on to Penn State, her dream school.

Sometimes she thinks about the strange circumstances that helped her discover her new skill.

"It worked out really well," Casciano said. "I've had a lot of fun. A good thing came out of a devastating situation for me."